Do you want to learn about models and water policy?

Last changed: 10 November 2022
Three active students in a computer lab, photo.

Models are important tools for setting and evaluating environmental policy. During the course ”Models for Sustainable Water Management” you will learn about credible modelling approaches, the need for high quality data and good practice for scientific communication. You will also get an in-depth understanding of how policy makers and stakeholders use model results to support decision making.

The course Models for Sustainable Water Management will train you to apply a range of water quality models of varying degrees of complexity to "real world" environmental problems. You will be able to plan a sampling campaign to collect critical data needed for reducing uncertainty in model applications.

The course will include both lectures and practical exercises. You will learn how to extract water quality data from the SLU national monitoring programmes database and how to use it to support a range of model applications. You will also have the opportunity to participate in “serious gaming” and learn about the policy negotiation process at first hand.

After the course you will appreciate the importance of models in the policy setting process and you will be aware of relevance of international, European and Swedish policy for setting water quality goals.

The teachers in this course comes from the department of Aquatic Resources and Assessment and from the Swedish EPA. They work with various modelling tools for calculation of streamflow, eutrophication and acidification. They do also work with field sampling. Some do also work with international negotiations.